Proton sold a total of 39,150 units in the first quarter of 2024, including domestic and export shipments. Based on Malaysia’s estimated total industry volume (TIV) of 202,492 units for the first three months of the year, Proton’s market share is estimated at 19.3%, which is a 5.1% growth and good for second place overall behind Perodua.
In this period, Proton shifted 5,828 units of the new S70, including 2,072 units in March. “While production volume is still catching up to demand as close attention is being paid to product quality, the C-segment sedan class leader is now the second best selling model in the Proton range,” the company said in a statement.
“Production is not slow, but what we’re maintaining is ensuring the quality, because this is a new model for us, and we have to ensure parts quality maturity, as well as our process – assembly maturity. The stock is being produced, but we’re checking thoroughly to ensure that we don’t face the similar problems as when we were so eager to deliver the car to the market,” Proton deputy CEO Roslan Abdullah said earlier this year.
“We had a good lesson learned in the past and we won’t make the same mistake, but we’re increasing deliveries starting this month,” he added, without naming the previous model.
Proton’s claim of the S70 being the best-selling C-segment sedan in Malaysia isn’t a surprise, as the plan was to offer a ‘C-segment sedan’ (’70’ name instead of ’50’ to align it with the X70) at the price of B-segment incumbents Honda City and Toyota Vios.
The segment of the S70 has been a subject of debate. It’s based on the Geely Emgrand, which sits on the X50’s BMA platform, and the car has a 1.5 litre NA engine/CVT combo elsewhere – 1.5L CVT is of course the ASEAN B-segment default set by the Vios and City. The pricing of the S70 is also squarely within the City-Vios space, and the two class stalwarts were chosen as rivals in the media preview.
However, Proton has plonked in a 1.5-litre turbo engine and dual-clutch gearbox in place of the 1.5L NA CVT that powers the Emgrand in China and the Philippines. Think 1.5T, think Civic, but Honda’s C-segment flag-bearer has one-cylinder, 32 PS and 14 Nm more than the S70’s 150 PS/226 Nm 1.5L port-injected three-cylinder engine that also powers the X50 Standard to Premium (the X50 Flagship and X70 MC get a 177 PS/255 Nm 1.5L TGDi unit).
As for dimensions, the Civic is 76 mm longer than the S70, and the Honda’s 2,735 mm wheelbase is a whopping 108 mm longer. In fact, going by the numbers, the S70 is actually closer to the City than the Civic in size. And all of the Civic, Toyota Corolla and Mazda 3 are also lower slung than the S70, giving them sportier proportions that are more inline with the C-segment. We’ll leave it up to you to place the S70, as it’s a bit of a mishmash.
Here it is, my full in-depth review of the new Proton S70. As usual it’s very long – though my initial X50 review was even longer – but it covers all you need to know about Proton’s latest sedan – everything that is good and bad, plus how it compares against the X50, Honda City and Toyota Vios.
The review covers the segment confusion (whether it’s a B or C, and if that’s even relevant – short answer, no), variant/price breakdown, interior quality and space, fit and finish issues, spec levels, equipment omissions, performance, fuel economy, refinement, ride and handling, ADAS, the lot. It’s purely intended for those looking to buy the S70, hence the detail and length.
As a quick recap, the Proton S70 comes in four variants: Executive for RM73,800, Premium for RM79,800, Flagship for RM89,800 and Flagship X for RM94,800. My take is, do ignore the first two for their complete lack any form of ADAS active safety features – AEB at least should be a bare-minimum essential item for any new car in 2024, and I don’t buy Proton’s reasoning for this omission one bit.
All variants get the same 1.5 litre three-cylinder MPI turbo engine with 150 PS and 226 Nm of torque, mated to a seven-speed wet dual clutch transmission. The combo is a big upgrade over the base Geely Emgrand’s 1.5 NA and CVT package, but Proton’s locally-led transplant job leaves a lot to be desired. More on the poorly calibrated transmission/throttle in the video above.
Do leave a comment below on your thoughts on the Proton S70 and my review of it. Was I too harsh on it, or appropriately so?
Ever since Proton and Geely inked a strategic partnership back in 2017, the company’s range of all-new models have all been SUVs derived from existing Geely models. In keeping with the SUV trend, first came the X70, then the X50 and X90, all of which have helped the carmaker pad its bottom line with strong sales figures and shake up the market by putting established nameplates on notice.
For Proton’s next trick to shake things up, it launched the S70 in November 2023, which is significant as the carmaker announces its return to the C-segment sedan space. The value proposition is an attractive one. With a price range from RM73,800 to RM94,800 (OTR without insurance) across four variants, the S70 slightly undercuts popular cars such as the Honda City and Toyota Vios while promising a similar or greater feature set.
So, should you join the bandwagon? Well, if you’re still uncertain and want to know more about the S70, here’s our first impressions after a short trip to Penang with the top-of-the-line Flagship X variant. A separate review where we have more time with the car is coming soon, but for now, here’s what we think of Proton’s all-new sedan.
Proton has revealed that it delivered 1,442 units of the S70 sedan in January 2024. The new release has an order book of over 8,000 names now, which Proton says “reflects the strong and positive response it has received from eager customers”.
The total also includes 15 units exported to Brunei, which once again will be the first export market for a new Proton. The first batch was delivered ahead of the S70’s official launch in the kingdom later this month.
The S70 was launched on November 28 last year, but so far, we’ve hardly seen any on the road. Indeed, Proton’s 2023 sales performance announcement revealed that only 109 units of the S70 were registered in 2023, presumably as test drive units for dealerships. It looks like customer deliveries are truly starting now.
We posed this ‘lag’ question to Proton at the recent S70 media drive and deputy CEO Roslan Abdullah revealed two reasons in the delay of customer deliveries. One is to ensure quality, two is to have the cars registered in 2024 for resale value reasons. There are two aspects to the former – parts and process.
“Production is not slow, but what we’re maintaining is ensuring the quality, because this is a new model for us, and we have to ensure parts quality maturity, as well as our process – assembly maturity. The stock is being produced, but we’re checking thoroughly to ensure that we don’t face the similar problems as when we were so eager to deliver the car to the market,” Roslan said.
“We had a good lesson learned in the past and we won’t make the same mistake, but we’re increasing deliveries starting this month,” he added, without naming the previous model.
“We launched it on November 28, and of course, some customers would like to have it in December, but at the end of the day if you deliver the car or register it in 2023, when it comes to 2024, even if it’s just one day, the market value will be affected. Then the issue of lower second hand value will come in next three years time, or four or five years, just because of the few days,” he explained, roping in RV as a point.
“We engaged with our dealers to communicate with our customers. But for this month, we’re gradually increasing deliveries. Production has been quite stable, but we’re throughly checking, ensuring (the quality) of the process and parts, because some of the unique parts are newly produced by our local vendors, so this is something we have to take extra caution in terms of checking,” the Proton Edar chief reiterated.
The Proton S70 comes in four variants, and they are the Executive, Premium, Flagship and Flagship X. The entry-level Exec kicks off the range at RM73,800, while the Premium sells for RM79,800. For many, the Flagship is where the S70 range truly starts, and it’s yours for RM89,800. If you want a sunroof, dashcam and the exclusive Quartz Black paintjob, the Flagship X is priced at RM94,800.
All S70 variants are powered by a 1.5 litre three-cylinder turbo engine with 150 PS and 226 Nm of torque from 1,750 to 4,000 rpm. This is the engine found in the non-Flagship X50, and the seven-speed wet dual-clutch automatic is also the same transmission that moves the SUV.
Have you seen the Proton S70 on the road? Neither have we, despite it being over a month now since the sedan’s grand launch on November 28 last year. Indeed, Proton’s 2023 sales performance announcement revealed that only 109 units of the S70 were registered in 2023, presumably as test drive units for dealerships, as the company admitted then that customer deliveries were yet to start.
We posed this question to Proton at the ongoing S70 media drive and deputy CEO Roslan Abdullah revealed two reasons in the delay of customer deliveries. One is to ensure quality, two is to have the cars registered in 2024 for resale value reasons. There are two aspects to the former – parts and process.
“Production is not slow, but what we’re maintaining is ensuring the quality, because this is a new model for us, and we have to ensure parts quality maturity, as well as our process – assembly maturity. The stock is being produced, but we’re checking thoroughly to ensure that we don’t face the similar problems as when we were so eager to deliver the car to the market,” Roslan said.
“We had a good lesson learned in the past and we won’t make the same mistake, but we’re increasing deliveries starting this month,” he added, without naming the previous model.
“We launched it on November 28, and of course, some customers would like to have it in December, but at the end of the day if you deliver the car or register it in 2023, when it comes to 2024, even if it’s just one day, the market value will be affected. Then the issue of lower second hand value will come in next three years time, or four or five years, just because of the few days,” he explained, roping in RV as a point.
“We engaged with our dealers to communicate with our customers. But for this month, we’re gradually increasing deliveries. Production has been quite stable, but we’re throughly checking, ensuring (the quality) of the process and parts, because some of the unique parts are newly produced by our local vendors, so this is something we have to take extra caution in terms of checking,” the Proton Edar chief reiterated.
The Proton S70 comes in four variants, and they are the Executive, Premium, Flagship and Flagship X. The entry-level Exec kicks off the range at RM73,800, while the Premium sells for RM79,800. For many, the Flagship is where the S70 range truly starts, and it’s yours for RM89,800. If you want a sunroof, dashcam and the exclusive Quartz Black paintjob, the Flagship X is priced at RM94,800.
All S70 variants are powered by a 1.5 litre three-cylinder turbo engine with 150 PS and 226 Nm of torque from 1,750 to 4,000 rpm. This is the engine found in the non-Flagship X50, and the seven-speed wet dual-clutch automatic is also the same transmission that moves the SUV.
The Proton S70 was launched earlier this week and is offered in four variants with prices ranging from RM73,800 to RM94,800 on-the-road without insurance. Regardless of variant, the S70 is powered by a 1.5 litre turbocharged inline-three petrol engine, which is also used by the X50.
Rated at 150 PS (148 hp or 110 kW) and 226 Nm of torque, the port-injected mill is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission driving the front wheels. With the sedan and SUV sharing the same powertrain, are the maintenance costs for both similar too? Well, let’s find out.
As with past maintenance cost comparisons, a little disclaimer before we proceed. In addition to the S70 and X50, we’re also including Proton’s other sedan – the Persona – to illustrate the difference in maintenance costs when moving up a segment in Proton’s line-up.
Click to enlarge
The Toyota Vios, Honda City (excluding the hybrid variant) and Nissan Almera are also joining in because while Proton labels the S70 as a C-segment model, its price range puts it well within proximity of the Japanese sedans, which occupy the B-segment space.
At the time of writing, these figures were taken directly from the MyProton app as well as the official websites of the involved car brands. A price rundown for all the models mentioned here is as follows:
Comparing the S70 to the X50 first, the former is cheaper to maintain over 100,000 km/60 months by RM562.41. While there are many service items that are shared, the X50 has fuel filter changes every 20,000 km/12 months at a cost of RM83.80 each time, which the S70 does not require.
We should also point out that beyond 100,000 km/60 months, the X50 does require its drive and timing belts to be changed at 110,000 km/66 months at a cost of RM112.89 and RM195.16 respectively. The latter is also listed for the S70, but at 120,000 km/72 months, and there’s no drive belt change listed for the sedan.
The Persona is cheaper to maintain than both the S70 and X50, which isn’t a surprise given powertrain is less complex without any turbocharging. Over 100,000 km/60 months, the grand total is just under the RM4,000 mark, significantly less than the S70 (RM4,784.94) and X50 (RM5,347.35). If you’re considering ponying up the price difference to get a S70 instead of a Persona, it’ll be an extra RM181.40 a year in maintenance with the larger sedan.
Proton S70 maintenance schedule; click to enlarge
Proton X50 maintenance schedule; click to enlarge
Proton Persona maintenance schedule; click to enlarge
What about the Japanese makes then? Looking at the maintenance schedules, the S70 is more expensive to maintain over 100,000 km/60 months than the Vios by RM234.88, which is around RM47 more a year.
The same is also true when comparing the S70 with the City, the former costing an extra RM465.17 (RM93 more a year) to maintain over 100,000 km/60 months. Keep in mind that the Vios and City both have naturally-aspirated engines and a CVT, and there are service items placed beyond 100,000 km/60 months.
For the Vios, a coolant change is needed at 160,000 km/96 months at a cost of RM123.50, while the City requires a fuel filter change at 140,000 km/84 months costing RM376.15, plus a coolant change at 200,000 km/120 months for RM81.36.
Toyota Vios maintenance schedule; click to enlarge
Honda City maintenance schedule; click to enlarge
As for the Almera, it matches the S70 by having forced induction with its 1.0 litre turbocharged inline-three petrol engine that is paired with a CVT. The Nissan sedan’s maintenance schedule is quite different from the others, as the service interval (after the first 1,000 km/one month) is every 7,000 km/6 months instead of the typical 10,000 km/6 months.
The Almera also comes standard with alternate free maintenance service, so you won’t need to pay at certain intervals – some of the other models get free labour at specific intervals. If we narrow it down to a five-year timeframe, which would be 70,000 km/60 months, the total maintenance cost for the Almera is RM1,965.80.
That’s incredibly low, but if we expand the scope closer to 100,000 km, which the schedule ends at 98,000 km/84 months, the grand total goes up to RM4,140.90. It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison in terms of timeframe here.
As always, maintenance schedules are just a reference and do not reflect the actual cost of ownership, which factors in things like fuel that can depend on a car’s fuel efficiency as well as how frequent and far you drive.
To add, there are also wear and tear items like brakes and tyres that aren’t included as service items and can differ greatly in price. For instance, the S70’s wheels range from 16 to 17 inches in size, while the X50’s wheel sizes are from 17 to 18 inches. As such, it would be cheaper to replace the tyres on the range-topping variant of the S70 compared to the one of the X50.
There’s also road tax, which is RM90 for the S70, Vios and City, all of which are close to 1.5 litres of displacement; the Persona at 1.6 litres also has a road tax of RM90; the X50 at RM120. It’s just RM20 for the Almera with its 1.0 litre engine. Also note that car insurance premiums are typically more expensive for vehicles with high market values.
In summary, the S70 is cheaper to maintain over 100,000 km/60 months compared to its SUV sibling, the X50. This isn’t the case with the Vios, City and Almera, all of which have lower maintenance costs, but with significantly different powertrains.
Remember the dark blue Proton S70 Premium X with the bodykit that we showed you from the media preview? Proton’s new three-box sedan is handsome in a traditional, old-school kind of way, but it’s a pretty tall car with high sides – in fact, all of the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Mazda 3 are lower than the S70.
If you want to make the S70 look more ground-hugging, the bodykit is available as an option. The RM3,130 Aerokit Pacakge includes front and rear skirts, side skirts and a boot spoiler. At the launch, Proton announced that the bodykit will be complimentary for Flagship X buyers if they are among the first 3,000 buyers.
That makes the RM94,800 Flagship X look good value next to the RM89,800 Flagship. The RM5,000 difference gets you the bodykit (which is worth RM3,130), a sunroof and dashcam. Flagship X buyers can also opt for an exclusive Quartz Black paintjob.
Click to enlarge
The Utility Package includes coil mats, door scuff plates and a boot tray for RM455. The RM1,020 Urban Package has door visors, a dashcam and floor lights, which are basically blue LED footwell lights. The RM2,660 Premium Package combines Utility and Urban, and throws in a Proton X-Watch. The smartwatch’s RRP is RM1,499 so it’s a good deal if you’re already thinking of the Utility and Urban packages.
If you’re feeling flush, the Premium Package and the bodykit will set you back a combined RM5,790. As such, there’s not much point in going down the Flagship + options route; better to just get the Flagship X plus some à la carte items.
Look closely and you’ll see the ‘Exclusive Proton Accessories’ logo on some of the items. This is something new and perhaps an introduction of a brand of optional accessories, like Perodua’s established and profitable GearUp. What do you think of the S70’s locally-designed bodykit and the other options? Full gallery of the options below.
The battle between specs and price is eternal. Just when you thought that variant A is good enough, you sit in variant B, see the upgrades and your head is turned. “I can get all these for only RMxk more, hmmm…” It can’t be just me – come on, own up!
That was what happened as I played imaginary car buyer at the Proton S70 launch. We’ve already seen and tested the Flagship, so I dashed straight to the base Executive variant to check out if it’s acceptable. It is – the grey fabric seats (all other variants get leatherette) has a melange-like look that’s nice, and the overall vibe of the base model – especially inside – doesn’t feel too cheap as they didn’t “de-trim” it like in Perodua’s entry variants.
Not bad at all for RM73,800. And then I went to the Premium. For just RM6k more (RM79,800) you get so many things that aren’t luxuries, but essentials in 2023 – things like LED headlamps, reverse camera, front parking sensors and leather steering wheel (the latter two aren’t essentials, I know, but this is supposed to be a C-segment sedan) were all available on the Perodua Axia I just drove.
And the S70’s most fancy exterior element, the full-width rear LED signatures, start from the Premium. So, the Premium is where it starts then.
And then you see the RM89,800 Flagship with its 17-inch rims (this should be the minimum for the S70’s tall body), digital instrument panel and large central touchscreen (the screens bring an advanced, premium car feel), and in no time, you’ll be shelling out top ringgit for the Flagship X. Before you laugh, the RM94,800 X is actually decent value for early birds – you’re topping up just RM5k more for a sunroof, dashcam and a good-looking bodykit.
See what I mean? To help you with the process, Hafriz Shah takes you on a walk-around video tour of all the S70 variants. Mechanically, they’re all the same – 1.5L turbo MPI engine with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic – so the difference between the RM74k car and the RM95k car boils down to kit.
The RM74k S70 Executive gets fabric seats and an analogue meter panel
Personally, I feel that the Exec’s price is tempting, and the interior feel is good, but you can’t be driving a ‘C-segment sedan’ with halogen lights and no reverse camera in 2023? The Premium is OK, but AEB and the full ADAS suite is reserved for the Flagship. We have to point out that autonomous emergency braking is available on the Axia – Malaysia’s cheapest model – and chief price-point rival Honda City has Sensing across the board.
As always, buy what you can afford. But it’s not an easy process, I understand. We’ve compiled the equipment list below so go through it after you join our video tour above. Also check out our launch report with full details and first impressions here. So, which S70 variant it is for you?
The entry-level RM74k Proton S70 Executive – front
Proton expects to the new S70 sedan – officially launched yesterday – to outsell the X50, as declared by VP of sales Edmund Lim in the press conference at the Axiata Arena. That’s some goal, seeing how popular the SUV is in the market.
Lim explained that sales of the B-segment SUV is currently around 2,000 units per month, whereas the target for the S70 sedan – which shares its BMA platform and 1.5L MPI turbo engine with the X50 – is between 2,000 to 3,000 units per month. If successful, the S70 will take over from the X50 as Proton’s second best-selling model after the Saga.
Where does 2,000 units put the S70 – priced from RM73,800 to RM94,800 – in the B-segment sedan arena? Not enough to topple the Honda City from the top of the B-segment mini league based on current figures, as it’s averaging around 2,400 units a month.
The entry-level RM74k Proton S70 Executive – rear
However, there can only be so many car buyers at the same price range every month, and if more people opt for the S70 over the two similarly-priced Japanese-badged sedans in the City and Vios, the Proton may end up outselling them too. Only time will tell.
But sales victory in the C-segment sedan market is virtually assured. With sales of 2,000 units a month, the S70 will outsell current leader Honda Civic by many folds, which is a given when the car is priced like a City. This is pretty much the same scenario as the X70 – Proton put its first Geely product in the CR-V segment with HR-V pricing.
The Proton S70 comes in four variants, and they are the Executive, Premium, Flagship and Flagship X. The entry-level Executive kicks off the range at RM73,800, while the Premium sells for RM79,800. For many, the Flagship is where the S70 range truly starts, and it’s yours for RM89,800. If you want a sunroof, dashcam and the exclusive Quartz Black paint, the Flagship X is priced at RM94,800 on-the-road without insurance.
The 2024 Proton S70 is now officially launched, earlier than the expected December date. Unlike previous Geely-Proton models, the gestation period for the new sedan was pretty short. First official details and images surfaced on November 1, and the media preview happened shortly after that. From that session, we gave you all you needed to know about the S70 except for the price, so here we go.
The Proton S70 comes in four variants, and they are the Executive, Premium, Flagship and Flagship X (Standard variant name dropped). The entry-level Executive kicks off the range at RM73,800, while the Premium sells for RM79,800. For many, the Flagship is where the S70 range truly starts, and it’s yours for RM89,800. If you want a sunroof, dashcam and the exclusive Quartz Black paint, the Flagship X is priced at RM94,800. All are on-the-road without insurance.
As expected, the S70’s price range puts in right smack in Honda City and Toyota Vios territory, and those two are household names in the B-segment sedan market. But Proton is calling the S70 a C-segment sedan, with a ’70’ badge to match. By the way, if you want to jump straight to the specs, we’ve listed it all down in point form – scroll down.
The Great Debate
So, is the S70 a B- or C-segment sedan? Well, it’s based on the Geely Emgrand, which sits on the X50’s BMA platform, and the car has a 1.5 litre NA engine/CVT combo elsewhere – 1.5L CVT is of course the ASEAN B-segment default set by the Toyota Vios and Honda City.
In fact, everyone thought that car codenamed SS11 would be called ‘Proton S50’ till we saw spyshots of the S70 badge last month. The pricing of the S70 is also squarely within the City-Vios space, and the two class stalwarts were chosen as rivals in the media preview acceleration test.
It’s a B then. But Proton complicates things (by design, I’m sure) by giving the sedan the ’70’ name. Officially, Proton is calling this a C-segment sedan, and ’70’ ties in with the X70, a C-SUV. The carmaker has also plonked in a 1.5 litre turbo engine and dual-clutch gearbox in place of the 1.5L NA CVT that powers the Emgrand in China and the Philippines. Think 1.5T, think Honda Civic, right?
What about dimensions? Glad you asked. According to the brochure, the S70 is 4,602 mm long and 1,809 mm wide, with a 2,627 mm wheelbase. Strangely, these are lower than the Emgrand’s numbers. Based on Proton’s figures, the S70 is just 13 mm longer than the Honda City RS and 61 mm wider, with a wheelbase that’s 27 mm longer.
By the way, the S70 is longer and wider than the Preve and Mitsubishi Lancer-based Inspira, Proton’s previous two C-segment sedans. Speaking of those models, Proton says that the S70 follows the lineage of the Wira, Waja and Preve.
It’s a C then. But cars grow in size, and a Civic then isn’t the same as a Civic now. On that note, today’s Civic FE is 76 mm longer than the S70, and the Honda’s 2,735 mm wheelbase is a whopping 108 mm longer. In fact, going by the numbers, the S70 is actually closer to the City than the Civic in size. And all of the Civic, Toyota Corolla and Mazda 3 are also lower slung than the S70, giving them sportier proportions that are more inline with the C-segment.
We’ll leave it up to you to place the S70, as it’s a bit of a mishmash. Outside of car guy circles, Proton calling their new sedan C-segment will enable salesmen to use the “Civic rival at City price” good value pitch, just like what they did with the X70 (CR-V size and specs at HR-V price).
Turbo-DCT from X50
The S70 gets turbo power instead of the Emgrand’s standard 1.5L NA unit, and the turbo engine in question is the 1.5-litre port-injected three-cylinder engine that powers the X50 Standard to Premium, and not the 177 PS/255 Nm 1.5L TGDi unit in the X50 Flagship and X70 MC. Like in the non-Flagship X50, the 1.5L MPI unit’s output is 150 PS and 226 Nm of torque from 1,750 to 4,000 rpm in the S70. Why no 1.5 NA or TGDi? Proton’s answer here.
For those keeping count, the Civic’s 1.5-litre four-cylinder VTEC turbo engine makes 182 PS and 240 Nm, which is 32 PS and 14 Nm more than the S70. As for the NA B-segment duo, the City has 121 PS/145 Nm (S70 +29 PS, +81 Nm) and the Vios’ 2NR-VE has 106 PS/138 Nm (S70 +44 PS, +88 Nm). Proton claims 0-100 km/h in around nine seconds.
Besides the point that a turbo engine would make the S70 a more convincing C-segment sedan, it also makes perfect business sense for Proton as the engine is already made in Tanjong Malim for the X50, while Geely’s 1.5L NA is not used in any current Proton. Using the engine in two models gives Proton better economies of scale, and in this case, the consumer benefits too. Ditto the seven-speed wet-clutch DCT.
Local input, deluxe Emgrand
In the switch from left- to right-hand drive (steering now perfectly centred in front of the driver by the way, no longer offset like in the X50/X70), the S70 project saw the development of 453 new parts with the involvement of 283 local suppliers, Proton says. The sedan has 145 knocked down (KD) parts and 24 in-house Proton developed parts. Of course, the engine is made in Malaysia. A total of 260,000 man hours were utilised.
Still, the target is to reach 70% local content in a couple of years, deputy CEO Roslan Abdullah revealed at the media preview. That’s nowhere near the over 90% local content of Perodua models from launch, and non-national models probably source more from Malaysia. This is not of concern to the customer, of course, and we only spotted one Geely logo on the fleet of pre-production cars – on the sunroof.
The most obvious change from the Emgrand is the S70’s grille, which combines the ‘Infinite Weave’ and ‘Ethereal Bow’ cues from past Geely-Protons to form an elaborate yet neat grille with pins. The side edges of the grille are blacked out to emphasise the Ethereal Bow (lower border), and Proton’s new round tiger badge floats in the middle. To us, it’s a handsome face and one that’s much better looking than the Emgrand, which has vertical lines in its grille.
Everything else is as per the Geely, including G20 BMW 3 Series-style ‘side intakes’, the two-tone 17-inch wheels, the slightly jarring protrusion of chrome from the A pillars and the fancy rear LED full-width signatures.
Speaking of the rear lights, they perform a show when you unlock the car and appear to be naturally ‘smoked’ even in daylight. We’re also wondering why the smart entry button on the driver’s door handle is in chrome, and not hidden away in body colour. There’s no button on the passenger side by the way, and it’s a downgrade from the touch sensor on Proton’s SUVs.
If the exterior is largely Emgrand bar the grille and rear Proton badge, the interior is a deluxe version of the sedan compared to what’s available in the Philippines, and to a lesser degree, China. The default gear lever is a conventional tall stick, but Proton is offering the stubby ‘T-design’ electronic shifter from the X90, which looks way more advanced and premium.
Click to enlarge brochure
More parts sharing with existing Protons (which are not from the original Emgrand) can be seen in the steering wheel from the X50. Also, the sedan’s cabin is peppered with a soft material that has a songket-inspired pattern. You can find this S70-exclusive trim on the dashboard and door armrests – it’s a nice touch.
The most important aspect of the local input is none other than the well-regarded ‘Proton ride and handling’. The carmaker says that the S70 is tuned for Malaysian roads and the R&D team spent 75,000 man hours and drove a combined 1.2 million km of development miles. Typically, Chinese cars are softly sprung and comfort-oriented to suit the local palate, but Malaysians drive faster and require more control, more dynamics. With regards to ride and handling, Proton engineers claim that they managed to improved both comfort and stability.
However, Proton stoped short of changing the Emgrand’s rear suspension from a torsion beam to multi-links like they did with the X90. Independent rear suspension is a norm in the C-segment, whereas the City/Vios have a torsion beam. They did however upgrade the size of the front brakes to match the heavier turbo engine.
Lots of kit, at the top
The S70 will come in four variants, but we’ll call it ‘3+’. Unlike the X50, there’s no Standard variant, and the sedan’s range starts from Executive. The mid-level spec is Premium and the top one is the Flagship. The Flagship X makes it four, but the only difference the ‘X’ brings is a sunroof and an exclusive Quartz Black paint option.
Is the S70 well equipped? Yes, but the entry-level Executive looks rather different from the Flagship/Flagship X cars that we see in the ads. Much of the exterior and interior bits that make the S70 look fancy (LED headlamps, rear LED signatures, 17-inch wheels that look just about large enough, digital meter panel, infotainment touchscreen) are not present in the Executive. A low entry price gets more eyeballs. Some would say that the Exec’s kit list is more ‘Standard’.
All variants have the same 1.5T 7DCT powertrain, six airbags, lane change assist and an electronic parking brake with auto hold. The Executive comes with fabric seats, halogen headlamps, 16-inch wheels and an 8.0-inch head unit. To get LED headlamps (projectors) and tail lamps, you’ll have to buy the Premium, which also adds on leatherette upholstery, auto air-con and a reverse camera. We also noticed that trim on the front lip, the ‘side air intake’ surrounds and the rear bumper horizontal strip are in silver from the Premium onwards (black in Exec).
Now, LED headlamps have been standard on the Perodua Myvi since 2017, and even a RM40k Axia gets them, so the base S70 is nowhere near C-segment in terms of equipment. There’s also no full ADAS and AEB at the midpoint – Lane Change Assist (blind spot warning), Door Opening Warning, Rear Collision Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are standard across the board.
Proton is once again reserving the full driver assist pack for the Flagship. The comprehensive ADAS suite adds on Autonomous Emergency Braking with Forward Collision Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Lane Departure Warning and Prevention, Lane Centring Control, Traffic Sign Information and Intelligent High Beam Control. By the way, ADAS is not available on the Emgrand, so this is yet another Proton-exclusive feature. Five stars in the ASEAN NCAP crash test, by the way.
The Flagship also gets a tyre pressure monitoring system, the 17-inch two-tone alloys you see here, the cockpit’s dual screen setup (10.3-inch meter, 12.3-inch infotainment with Hi Proton), wireless charger, powered driver’s seat (none of the B-segment players have this) and 360-degree camera with 3D display.
As mentioned, the Flagship X’s only extra pieces of kit are the sunroof and dashcam, but the range topper does get an exclusive Quartz Black paint option. Black isn’t a common colour for Protons – will this car be supplied to the government? The Flagship X can also be had in Snow White, Space Grey, Marine Blue and Teal Bayou Green – the latter is a new-to-Proton colour inspired by our tropical beaches.
The signature green and Marine Blue, which are the colours you see in the studio pics here, are reserved for the Flagship and above. The dark blue car has a five-piece bodykit consisting of a front lip, side skirts, rear bumper extension and a boot spoiler. No R3 logos on the kit, by the way. The bodykit is, for now, a freebie for Flagship X early birds – more on this later.
There’s always a different kind of buzz when we’re seeing a Proton/Perodua for the first time. More anticipation and more pressure too, because it seems like national cars are well, of national interest – everyone talks about it, everybody wants to know about it, not just car people. We genuinely want to see the cars do well, but also have the duty to report as it is.
Kudos to Proton for having a couple of cars that it sees as the S70’s rivals at the preview. So confident they are that it wasn’t just the Vios and City present – we were all shocked to see the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe and Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan parked alongside for static comparison. Surely not ‘Asia’s answer to BMW’ all over again? More on that later.
Our first impression of the S70 is a good one. This is a three-box sedan that’s handsome in a slightly old school way, and it reminds me of the third-generation Subaru Legacy (B4 RSK!). Proton might have just changed the grille of the Emgrand, but it’s a change for the better – the S70 looks more premium than the Geely. SUVs rule the market these days, but many guys still like sedans, and we think that the S70 will capture the imagination of many bros out there.
Step in and you’re greeted by a throughly contemporary cockpit with three of the most popular elements checked – horizontal dash layout (always emphasised by full-width look AC vents), a high centre console, and two screens (meter and central). The latter gives off a high-tech, advanced feel that goes well with (and is integral to) the minimalist design. Plenty of X90 elements, but the S70’s cockpit is way more stylish.
Look closer and you’ll find a delightful local touch – the passenger-facing piece of trim below the AC vents is soft to the touch and has a nice songket-inspired pattern. This material is repeated on the door armrests. This and the dash top both pass the knock-knock Malaysian showroom test – the dash top, which has stitching on the edge, feels solid. Also nice is the stitched pattern on the door cards, which reminds me of Asics’ Tiger Stripes.
This positive feel doesn’t flow into the centre console and doors; the latter is covered in scratchy hard plastic and the door handles, while nicely integrated design-wise, has a lacquer-like silver finish that feels cheap. So, overall perceived quality is a mixed bag, and sitting in the BMW 2GC after the S70 merely emphasised the gulf in premiumness.
To be fair, hard plastics are common in the B-segment, which the S70 will be priced against. But it’s Proton who’s calling it a C (Civic cabin feels more premium in touch and feel) and brought a BMW along. As mentioned, we like the design and advanced feel, and the IP is quality.
At the media preview, we pushed the S70 along a short course in Proton’s Shah Alam proving ground and also had it in a drag race with the City and Vios. It didn’t take long to deduce that the S70 is tuned for comfort rather than sport, as a sub-RM100k family sedan should be – it’s easy to drive with light and smooth steering, and primary ride comfort should be good, based on its calm, composed reaction to a dip in the course.
We didn’t try the sedan on rough surfaces, but based on trend and Proton’s well-proven capabilities in ride and handling, the S70 should be a well-damped, forgiving ride. Expect some lean on steady-state cornering from this relatively tall sedan, but nothing too disconcerting.
It depends on what your expectations are, but if you hear 1.5T DCT and think ‘VW TSI DSG’ or ‘Civic-beater’, be prepared to be disappointed. There’s a significant delay between your right foot asking for full throttle and the powertrain getting the message, so much so that the City consistently beats the S70 off the line.
But give the Proton enough road and it will eventually overtake and pull away from the Honda, as it should, being turbocharged. The Vios? Quite a distance away from the other two, literally. Away from the drag strip’s standing start, the in-gear acceleration of a turbocharged car would be useful in cut and thrust daily driving.
Speaking of the daily grind, we noticed that the S70’s transmission swaps gears pretty leisurely for a dual-clutch unit, and its engine is more audible than the Vios at idle and low speeds, while sounding coarser. When it comes to isolation, Toyota is tops – even the previous-generation Vios/current Yaris is more refined on the move. Personally, I feel that the lack of powertrain refinement is at odds with the premium messaging.
Moving to the back seat, we can report that the bench is nicely shaped and the seat base height is sufficient. The length is of the seat base is just about right for my 175 cm frame. The S70’s rear headroom betters the City and Vios – it was my first time in the Toyota and I was shocked that they signed this off, and I’m not even that tall.
The most layman way of measuring rear space is legroom, and you’ll expect the ‘C-segment’ car to romp home. Instead, if stretching your rear legs is an important consideration, the City and Vios have more acreage. Mind you, the S70 isn’t cramped by any means, but rear legroom is short of the ASEAN B-segment’s abnormally high bar. Also, if the driver’s seat is set to the lowest position, there’s not much room under it for feet to tuck into.
Anyhow, it’s decent at the back, and passengers get to enjoy AC vents (they look strangely ‘naked’ though), a centre armrest, and two USB ports (1x A, 1x C). As with the front doors, there are stitched stripes on the door cards and songket-patterned soft material on the side armrests. Boot volume is 500 litres and there’s a space saver spare wheel under the floor.
So, how does the S70 compare with its rivals, you ask. The answer depends on who you consider its rivals to be, as discussed above in The Great Debate. Proton is calling the S70 a C-segment sedan, but truth be told, the Honda Civic has it easily beat in touch, feel, drive and desirability. As such, there’s no need to discuss the BMW 2GC.
Click to enlarge price list and early bird package list
However, the S70 is priced squarely in the City and Vios range. And against those two, there’s certainly a case for the Proton, which is plenty of car for the money – you’ll get a bigger body, a turbo engine, lots of toys and some feel-good features that are first-in-class such as electric seat adjustment. The S70 is a decent drive and it looks good in and out, too. However, there’s no Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, not yet at least.
It must be noted though that much of the good stuff you see here are reserved for the Flagship. Also, Proton has announced a ‘standard package’ for the S70, which consists of a five-year unlimited mileage warranty, a five-year data package (1GB per month, only for the Flagship and above), six times free labour service and financing rates from 2.34%.
There’s more. The first 3,000 bookings will get the aerokit you see on the blue car here, worth RM3,130. That’s only for the Flagship X though – early birds for the other variants get RM500 service vouchers and upgraded Proton Insurance Programme. To enjoy the early bird perks, you must register your S70 by February 29, 2024.
For now, what do you think of the Proton S70 as it is, and vis-à-vis the Honda City and Toyota Vios? Check out the list of specs below and once you’re done, join Hafriz on a detailed video tour of the S70. We’ve updated the gallery below with live pics of all four variants, including the base Executive and mid-level Premium.
paultan.org Facebook Group member Zhen Feng Yap posted what appears to be official spec sheets of the upcoming Proton S70 sedan earlier today.
All variants feature a 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine making 150 PS and 226 Nm of torque from just 1,750 rpm. This engine is mated to a 7-speed wet dual clutch transmission.
The base Executive model makes do with halogen headlamps, fabric seats, and manual aircond but it does have six airbags. Meanwhile, the Flagship and Flagship X models get the full suite of safety features. Check out the spec sheet below to see which spec rows are ticked for which variant.
Of course the last bit of info yet to be unveiled is the pricing. Proton has reserved this for the launch. The Proton S70 will officially be launched this week on November 28, so we will know the full price list then.
Whoa, what do we have here? Just a render, of course, but Theophilus Chin’s latest creation is not completely a flight of fancy – you can do it at home too, soon. Christened ‘Proton S70 GT’ by its creator, the vision was of a high-performance version of the S70 inspired by the C99 Wira 1.8 EXi DOHC.
“That Wira was built to meet the homologation requirement of at least 2,500 units set by the World Rally Championship… I imagine Proton making a performance-oriented S70 called the S70 GT, fitted with the 1.5 TGDi engine from the X50 and X70,” Theo says, adding that his GT spec includes multi-link rear suspension, uprated brakes and 19-inch alloys on lowered suspension.
He admits that dreams are free, and while rear multi-link suspension (a staple in the C-segment, but the S70 carries over the Geely Emgrand‘s torsion beam, a B-segment sedan default) is a bit of a stretch for modders, the rest of what you see here is actually achievable.
Click to enlarge
Big brakes, lowered springs – they’re all available for the X50, and with projected volumes of over 2,000 units per month (Proton’s target), it’s a matter of time before big local tuning companies produce parts for the sedan. Those crazy enough can even attempt an engine swap, from the S70’s 1.5T MPI (150 PS/226 Nm, from the X50 Standard to Premium) to the 1.5 TGDi with 177 PS/255 Nm, as found in the X50 Flagship and X70 MC.
Looks wise, Theo gave the S70 a full black grille and a more aggressive front bumper that swaps the BMW G20-style ‘side intakes’ for larger ones for a conventional sporty look. Gloss black trim can be found all around, Honda RS-style, including on the boot wing, which looks like something from a hatchback/SUV. The roof and wing mirror caps are also in black.
Finally, the GT gets exposed twin pipes and a diffuser. The actual car’s pipes are hidden deep behind the rear bumper, pointing down, a big contrast from the X50’s quad pipes (more pipes than cylinders!). What do you think of this ‘S70 GT’? Should Proton do something like this now that they have a suitable sedan base? If they do, let’s hope that it’s more ‘proper’ compared to this.
So, is the Proton S70 a B- or C-segment sedan? We’ve laid out the facts and figures in our media preview report’s Great Debate section, but here’s what Proton has to say, officially.
At the media preview, Mohd Haizam, vehicle program executive for engineering and technical, named the S70’s primary competitors as the Honda City, Toyota Vios and Nissan Almera. The sedan has ‘secondary competitors’ too, and unsurprisingly, the models are the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.
“In terms of capturing the market, I believe based on the performance of this car, we can somehow capture these two markets,” Mohd Haizam said, referring to B- and C-segment sedans. When asked why Proton did not bring the Civic and Corolla for comparison at the event, deputy CEO Roslan Abdullah said that the B-segment duo was presented as they served as a hint of the S70’s price, which will be revealed on November 28.
So there you have it, a car marketed as a C-segment sedan but priced to compete with B-segment ones. This is the same trick as the one used for the X70 – CR-V rival at HR-V pricing. Of course, the Proton-Geely models are smaller than the CR-V and Civic – they’re more of an in-between product – but salesmen will be able to use the “Civic rival at City price” good value pitch.
To recap, here are the facts and figures. The S70 is based on the Geely Emgrand, which sits on the BMA platform. That’s the B-segment X50’s platform; in fact, everyone thought that the SS11 would be called S50 till we saw spyshots of the S70 badge last month. The Emgrand has a 1.5 litre NA engine/CVT combo elsewhere – 1.5L CVT is of course the ASEAN B-segment default set by the Vios/City.
But Proton has plonked in a 1.5 litre turbo engine and dual-clutch gearbox in place of the 1.5L NA CVT. Think 1.5T, think Honda Civic, right? However, this is the 1.5-litre port-injected three-cylinder engine that powers the X50 Standard to Premium, and not the 177 PS/255 Nm 1.5L TGDi unit in the X50 Flagship and X70 MC. It makes 150 PS/226 Nm, which is 32 PS/14 Nm less than the Civic’s 1.5L VTEC Turbo unit.
Dimensions wise, the Emgrand is 4,638 mm long and 1,822 mm wide, with a 2,650 mm wheelbase. That’s 58 mm longer and 74 mm wider than a Honda City, and the S70’s wheelbase is 50 mm longer too. In fact, the S70 is longer and wider than the Preve and Inspira, Proton’s previous two C-segment sedans.
But cars have grown in size, and a Civic then (FB, when the Preve was launched) isn’t the same as a Civic now. On that note, today’s Civic FE is 40 mm longer than the S70, and the Honda’s 2,735 mm wheelbase is 85 mm longer. The Civic’s WB advantage over the S70 is more than the Proton’s advantage over the City. All of the Civic, Toyota Corolla and Mazda 3 are also lower slung than the S70, giving them sportier proportions.
The S70 will come in four variants, but we’ll call it ‘3+’. Unlike the X50, there’s no Standard variant, and the sedan’s range starts from Executive. The mid-level spec is Premium and the top one is the Flagship. The Flagship X makes it four, but the only difference the ‘X’ brings is a sunroof and an exclusive Quartz Black paint option.
It’s not a surprise that the Proton S70 – which will be launched on November 28 – will not have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (AACP) – Proton already pre-empted us back in July that the sedan will instead get an improved infotainment head unit (IHU) with the Atlas OS.
But Proton and ACO Tech are working on AACP, as confirmed by Sunny Wang, ACO Tech’s head of project management at the media preview. She said that AACP integration is currently under development and that it won’t be long before customers get to enjoy the desired smartphone mirroring in their cars.
Proton deputy CEO Roslan Abdullah weighed in on the matter, explaining the the chipset for the IHU requires changes to support AACP, which means that there’s hardware involved, and not just a software update. Roslan also candidly explained the reason for the AACP delay.
“Where is the source of this model? Where Google is not allowed. How to befriend Google for the license. And it seems like Google also does not want to be good friends with certain OEMs. We’re still discussing with Google to work with us, and it’s similar with Apple. To get the license is a bit of a hassle compared to other OEMs. The geopolitics make it difficult for us,” he said, referencing the geopolitical tension and tech rivalry between the US and China.
“Unless we change everything and ACO Tech have to develop from scratch. ACO Tech is still working hard so that whenever we launch a new car, Hafriz does not have a chance to ask that question,” he added referring to our man Hafriz Shah’s main complaint about Proton-Geely models.
The good news from this revelation is that Proton-ACO Tech is working on AACP, and it won’t be long before the cars get it. Unfortunately, with AACP requiring hardware changes, it would also most probably mean that current cars will not be able to have AACP as it won’t be as simple as an OTA update.
AACP in the Honda City (left) and Perodua Alza (right)
Also, a note on the difficulty Proton is supposedly facing from US tech giants due to the Chinese origins of its models, it must be noted that China brands such as Chery, GWM and BYD all have AACP. Does Google or Apple have a specific issue with Geely? As for the S70’s rivals, both the Toyota Vios and Honda City have AACP. Over in Rawang, AACP made its Perodua debut in the Alza.
We’ve analysed this topic before, and first, you’ll need to understand how it’s like where Proton’s partner Geely is from. As many of you know, the services from Google, Meta and many of the other Western tech giants aren’t available in China, which has its own local champions and equivalents.
Chinese users simply prefer their own apps and services. Navigation apps like Alibaba’s AutoNavi and music streaming services like Tencent’s QQ Music take the place of Waze/Google Maps and Spotify, for instance. These services are usually either natively integrated into the car’s infotainment system or can be used in indigenous screen mirroring services like Baidu CarLife.
As such, there’s little incentive for Chinese carmakers to invest in AACP-compatible systems, and while some brands have made the effort, Geely isn’t one of them. The fact Proton is still working on it today is probably because AACP was not in the company’s original vision for its IHU. Anyway, if the lack of AACP is a dealbreaker for you, it’s coming soon to Proton cars.
Proton has started a countdown to the official launch of the Proton S70 sedan. The time is 4.30 pm and the date is November 28, which is seven days from now.
“Embark on a journey where safety meets sophistication with the Proton S70. Designed on the world-class BMA platform, this exceptional sedan promises to redefine your drive with unparalleled intelligence that adapts to every journey. As the countdown begins, join us in unveiling the ‘Intelligence that Evolves’ on November 28. Your adventure awaits!” the social media caption reads.
Yes, the S70 rides on Geely’s BMA platform, which also underpins the Proton X50. It’s based on the Geely Emgrand sedan, which has dimensions that are in between current B- and C-segment sedans. Proton has elected to call it a C-sedan, with the ’70’ name to match.
Click to enlarge specs, colour chart
Also more C than B-sedan is the 1.5L turbo engine and seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox combo. This is the same pairing found in the non-Flagship X50, which means a 1.5-litre port-injected three-cylinder engine with 150 PS/226 Nm, and not the 177 PS/255 Nm 1.5L TGDi from the X50 Flagship and X70 MC. The Emgrand uses a 1.5L NA + CVT combo elsewhere but the 1.5T MPI is made in Tanjong Malim so it makes perfect business sense to use in the S70.
The S70 will come in four variants, but we’ll call it ‘3+’. Unlike the X50, there’s no Standard variant, and the sedan’s range starts from Executive. The mid-level spec is Premium and the top one is the Flagship. The Flagship X makes it four, but the only difference the ‘X’ brings is a sunroof and an exclusive Quartz Black paint option.
